Thankyou for Helping to  deliver this to Jacinda by sharing and supporting  the "I Am Hope NZ fund" on Gumboot day.
This fund raiser has now closed and thanks to your support I was able to make a sizeable donation to this very important charity. 

Kate MacKenzie LIMITED EDITION PRINTS are still available to purchase through the "prints tab "  .



Kate MacKenzie is a NZ Adam Portraiture finalist and Supreme WOW winner.
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 “I finished this painting the first day of Lock-down. I started it 14 months ago and it sat in my studio unfinished and unresolved…but I now realize why.  As a NZ artist it is a privilege to be able to document important people and moments in time that become part of our history. “

On the first morning of Lock-down I went for a walk and oddly the peace and quiet made me feel calm. It occurred to me that I am so grateful to be living in a country so beautiful and to have a leader that knows how to react in a crisis. Her communication and timing in my opinion was perfect. If she had enforced a lock-down too early, she would not have had the support of all her people and it would have created more panic.  By waiting until now, the majority of New Zealanders were  ready to go with her.

This piece is full of symbolism's and references to Jacinda and this important time in history. My hope as an artist is that this painting inspires us to be strong and that we can look at this in many years time and be grateful that we have survived and learned from the experience.

“Jacinda you are an inspiration to people world-wide”. 
Kia Kaha 

Dame Suzie Moncrieff.

Founder and CEO for The World Of Wearable Art had vision and tenacity to swim against the current, which sparked a series of conscious and subconscious thoughts to create a piece that reflects her humble authenticity, despite her success.

Symbolism's and dark and light are used to express her journey, which has forged a permanent pathway into the NZ landscape.

The Graduate was inspired by many young men and woman in this country that are leaders and visionaries.

They are wise beyond their years and have the ability to encourage unity diversity and mixed culture. The subject is not based on a particular person, but from my imagination.
He has both Maori and European lineage and he is guided by his ancestors through the Tui, acting as his moral and spiritual compass. His relationship with the environment is strong and he sees himself as its guardian.  

I am excited to show you Axminstress. She was awarded 2nd place in Avant Garde, plus runner up in sustainability award 2018 World Of Wearable Arts.

From the hallways of our past, to carpet runway ready, this revolutionized antique- chic twinset reflects how far women have come, to be confident, independent and successful.

Inspired by Frida Kahlo - artist and fashion icon to boot. She learns to use her physical and emotional pain as fertiliser for her strength and creativity and the flowers begin to grow and blossom.  She’s done with being walked all over.   She discovers her inner Axminster, then rips the rug out from all expectation and flies off in a lace bra.

There are a few symbolism's with the garment itself…the tear drop hat represents past emotions, the Spanish inspired skirt resembles that of a painters palette, covered in vibrant swirls of paint. The back resembles a butterfly, ready to take flight now that she has discovered her strength and versatility. I have over stitched many of the flowers to appear like they are emerging out from the carpet at different stages of growth.

I am super proud to have B Akerlund model my WOW garment "Axminstress .  She is a famous Fashion Activist and stylist for Lady Gaga, Madonna and Beyonce.  This photo shoot was taken by Bs Photographer Ekaterina Belinskaya in conjunction with The World of Wearable Art

The Maori Cloak is a river nourishing all living things. Tangata Whenua ensure the waters remain pure.

Maori have a spiritual and cultural connection to the land. There is an obligation of guardianship to protect the spiritual wellbeing of the land and waterways to ensure a sustainable ecosystem for future use.

Tuki Tuki illustrates how land and river rely on each other to remain healthy. As populations rise, so does the need to boost our food sources through increased sustainable farming.

The Tuki Tuki River is currently under the spotlight as a decision to build a dam is pending. Transparency in our processes, and careful research must prevail as vital decisions are made about its future. ​